Toy train set



E, FIELDS- TOY TRAIN SET June 4, 1957 2 She'ecs-Sheet 1 Filed. Jan. 21, 1954 INVENTOR.

ERNEST HELDS.

4 Jun e 4, 1957 r E. FIELDS 2,794,296

TOY TRAIN SET Filed Jan. 21, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. E ENEST F] 51.05.

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Ernest Fields, New York, N. Y.; Hilde Fields Well, execuof said Ernest Fields, deceased Application January 21, 1954, Serial No. 405,332 7 Claims. (Cl. 462ll2) My invention relates to toy railroad trains and is directed particularly to a set comprising a toy engine, a car and a track system all cooperative automatically to simulate switching operations.

The invention provides a toy train set with a compound track structure whereon the car is pushed or switched from one section of the track to a second section while the engine turns off onto a third section, subsequently to reenter the second section from the opposite direction to push the car in reverse. The switching alternates between one side and the other of the track, continuing as long as the engine has motive power.

An object of my invention is to provide a toy of the above nature that is amusing, attractive and instructive to children and that at the same time is comprised of simple and easily manufactured parts.

Another object is to provide, in a toy of the character described, a compound track operative to switch an engine off onto a side track, while a box car pushed by the engine is allowed to continue along the main track.

Another object is to provide auxiliary guide means to prevent the engine from running off the track as it travels over a junction from a side section to a main section of the track.

Other objects, advantages and features of my invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiment of the invention exemplified by the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of a train set comprising a track structure, an engine and a box car;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the train set shown in Fig. 1, shown partly in vertical cross section;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the engine showing the position of the guide lug between the front wheels;

Fig. 4 is a partial view of the track showing how a guide rail therein cooperates with the engine guide lug to steer the engine through a junction from the main track to a side track;

Pig. 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 4 but illustrating how another guide rail keeps the engine on the track as it passes through a junction from a side track to the main track; and

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the paths of travel of the engine and the box car while the toy is in operation.

The illustrated toy comprises a base plate ill of oval shape and of such design as to be manufacturable from sheet metal by a simple stamping operation. Stamped in the plate 10 is a peripheral oval groove-shaped indentation that forms a main track 12 and provides wheelguide side banks or trails 14 and 16. The main track 12 merges with similarly indented cross track sections 18 and 29 having pairs of wheel-guide side banks 22, 24 and 26, 28, respectively. The cross tracks 18 and 20 join with the main track 12 at junctions 30, 32 and 34, 36, respectively, to provide a compound track whose course is a figure eight supplemented by two straight track portions on both sides respectively.

Pairs of islands 33 and 49, 42 and 44, 46 and 48,

Patented June 4, 1957 2 50 and 52 at the junctions 3t 32, 34 and 36, respectively, furnish track guide bank portions that aid in guiding th engine and box car around the track and through th junctions in their particular directions of travel.

A pair of guide flanges or rails 54, 56 preferably formed by striking up portions of the plate 10 are located at the junctions 3t? and 36 respectively for guiding the engine oil the main oval track 12, through either of the junctions and onto the corresponding cross tracks. A second pair of guide rails 58, 60 is provided at the junctions 32 and 34, respectively, to air in keeping the engine on its course as it travels from the junctions back onto the main track. The operation of these two pairs of guide rails is hereinafter more fully described.

The toy engine 62, having pairs of front wheels 64," pref-' and rear wheels 66, contains its own motive power, erably by the provision of an ordinary wind-up springwork. A guide lug 67 projects downwardly from the underside of the engine 62 between the front wheels 64 and to one side thereof. Lug 67 serves to cooperate with the guide rails 54, 56, 58 and 60.

The illustrated car 68 is designed as a substantially rectangular box car. Its two sets of wheels 70 are freely rotatable. The box car 68 is adapted to be repeatedly pushed from one side to the other of the track system by the engine 62 as the engine travels its way about the track in the manner now to be explained.

The operation of the toy can best be understood by first referring to Fig. 6. The engine is shown behind the box car 68 at the upper or far side of the track. When the engine is running, it pushes the car 68 in the direction of the dotted-line a row. The car and engine travel past the junction 36, entirely unaffected by the guide rail 56, because the engine lug 67 is disposed off center far enough to pass the upper end of the guide rail 56 Without touching. As the train continues, the box car is pushed past the junction 3%? and coasts into the lower part of the left side section of the track, as is illustrated in Fig. 6 by the dotted line position of car 68. However, the lug 67 of the engine engages against the inner side of'the guide rail 54. This directs the front wheels 64 to turn the engine into the cross track section 18. The turning operation is further illustrated in Fig. 4, where the outside front wheel 64 is shown in engagement with the track bank portion formed by the island 38 for continued tuming guidance after the engine lug 67 leaves the guide track 54. After travelling the length of the cross track 18, the engine reaches the junction 32 where the engine lug 67 engages slidably with the inside of the guide rail 58 (Fig. 5). Rail 58 directs the front wheels 64 to turn the engine into the right hand oval portion of the main track 12. By the time the lug leaves the guide rail, the outer front wheel will bear against the outer bank 14 (Figs. 1, 2). There will therefore be no tendency for the engine to jump the track due to action of centrifugal force as the engine rounds the bend at this junction.

The engine then continues to the position shown in Fig. 1, whereupon it abuts the box car 68 and pushes it around and past the junction Ell back into the upper or far portion of the main track, as is illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 7. Here again, however, the engine is directed by the guide rail 56 into the cross track 20 in the manner described in connection with its previous turning at junction 39. Thereafter the engine travels past the junctions 34 and 32 in the manner described above to again reach the starting position of Fig. 6, the box car being now'in the upper or far portion of the main track. The operation continues in this way, the engine shuttling the box car 68 back and forth aroundthe left-hand end of the oval track to simulate switching operations of a real engine.

While it have described a particular track system for the cross tracks through switching a box car from one section to another, it will be obvious that toys according to the invention may be modified as to design and appearance of the track layout,

engine and car and hence may be given embodiments other than the one specifically illustrated and described, without departing from the essence of the invention and within the scope of the claims annexed hereto.

1 claim:

' 1. In a toy train set of the type requiring no movable switching devices in which a self-propelled wheeled engine is arranged to travel over an endless track system comprising an outer endless track providing an inner and outer trail for the engine wheels, and two inner track sections each comprising innerand outer trails, which inner track sections cross each other and make four junctions with the outer track, opposite ends of each inner track section being oppositely curved to form said junctions, the outer track comprising a left outer track section included between first and second junctions formed at firstand second inner'track section ends which curve toward each other, a right outer section included between third and fourth junctions formed at third and fourth inner track section ends which also curve toward each other, anda near and a far outer section connecting the left and the right sections, two fixed rail means each angularly disposed between the trails-of the left section, one being in the region of the first junction and the other being in the region of the second junction, guide means carried by the engine engageable by the fixed rail means to turn the engine at the first and second junctions when travelling in either direction in the left section, into respective ones of the said two inner track sections, which guide means on the engine and fixed rail means coact to prevent entry of the engine from the left section into the said near and far connecting sections, said two fixed rail means being so positioned with respect to the guide means carried by the engine that they do not obstruct the engine when it moves from the said near and'far connecting sections, or from the crossing inner track sections, into the left section, the third and fourth junctions being provided with guide means which assists and permits the free entry of the engine from the right section into the near and far connecting sections, and from each of the crossing inner sections into the right section.

2. The toy train set defined in claim 1 in which a wheeled car is provided which does not carry said guide means and is adapted to be pushed by the engine moving on said track system to shunt it back and forth in the left outer track section.

3. In a toy train set of the type requiring no movable switching devices in which a wheeled motor engine is arranged to travel over an endless track system comprising an outer endless track, and two inner track sections which cross each other and make four junctions with the outer track, opposite ends of each'inner track section being oppositely curvedto form said junctions, the outer track comprising a left outer track section included between first and second junctions formed at first and second inner track section ends which curve toward each other, a-right outer section included between third and fourth junctions formed at third and fourth inner track section ends which also curve toward each other, and a near'a'nd a far outer section connecting the left and the right sections, two fixed rail means one being in the region of the first junction and the other being in the second junction, guide means carried by the engine engageable by the fixed rail means to turn the engine, when travelling in either direction in the left section, into respective ones of the said two inner track sections, which guide means on the engine and fixed rail means coact to prevent entry of the engine from the left section into the said near and far connecting sections, said two fixed rail means being so positioned with respect to the guide means carried by the engine that they do not obstruct the engine when it moves from the near and far connecting sections, or from the crossing inner track sections, into the left section, the third and fourth junctions being provided with guide means which assists and permits the free entry of the engine from the right section into the near and far connecting sections, and from each of the crossing inner sections into the right section.

4. The toy train set defined in claim 3 in which a. a wheeled car is provided which does not carry said guide means and is adapted to be pushed by the engine moving on said track system, to shunt it back and forth in the left outer track section, said shunting requiring no movable switching devices.

5. In a toy train set of-the type requiring no movable switching devices in which a wheeled motor engine is arranged to travel over an endless track system compris ing an outer endless track, and two inner track sections which cross each other and make four junctions with the outer track, opposite ends of each inner track section being oppositely curved to form said junctions, the outer track comprising a left outer track section included between first and second junctions formed at first and second inner track section ends which curve toward each other, a right outer section included between third and fourth junctions formed at third and fourth inner track section ends which also curve toward each other, and a near and a far outer section connecting the left and the right sections, two fixed rail means one being in the region of the first junction and the other being in the second junction, guide means carried by the engine engageable by the fixed rail means to turn the engine, when travelling in either direction in the left section, into respective ones of the said two inner track sections, which guide means on the engine and fixed rail means coact to prevent entry of the engine from the left section into the said near and far connecting sections, said two fixed rail means being so positioned with respect to the guide means carried by the engine that they do not obstruct the engine when it moves from the near and far connecting sections, or from the crossing inner track sections, into the left section, the third and fourth junctions being designed to permit the free entry of the engine from the right section into the near and far connecting sections, and from each of the crossing inner sections into the right section.

6. The toy train set defined in claim 5 in which a wheeled car is provided which does not carry said guide means and is adapted to bepushed by the engine moving on said track system, to shunt it back and forth in the left outer track section, said shunting requiring no movable switching devices.

, 7. The toy train set defined in claim 6 in which the track system is in the form of a depression in a base plate.

References Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,444,654 Bradbury Feb. 6, 1923 2,031,195 Thompson Feb. 18, 1936 2,664,831 Fields Jan. 5, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 488,042 Great Britain June 30, 1938 512,669 Great Britain Sept. 22, 1939 713,887 Germany Nov. 17, 1941 828,517 Germany Jan. 17, 1952 677,910 Great Britain Aug. 27, 1952 

